Component weight Road bikes

[David Marshall]

Don't be misled into thinking that carbon is always lighter.  Some of the aluminium frames from that time (2002 to 2006) were super light and considerably lighter than the entry level carbons on offer today.  Thinking of the Fuji SL, Scott AFD Pro, Principia, Cannondale etc.

 

I would not advise an upgrade on the OP's bike.  Just not economically viable.  Look out for a suitable (lighter) second hand bike.

[Allrounder]

A stone is 6.35kg, right?  You may even save money while losing that kind of weight (yes healthy food is expensive, but booze isn't and that's usually the reason I'm too heavy), whereas shedding 6.35kg from your bike to get it to 4.55kg will cost in the region of R150k.  The Merida Scultura 9000 Ltd is supposed to weigh about 4.55kg and is claimed to be the world's lightest production bike, but that's not exactly a cheap upgrade.

 

Drop the bierboep, on your 10.9kg bike you'll still destroy the 120kg ooms on their S-Works bikes any day of the week

 

It's the way better value proposition and better for your physical/mental health too

 

Yes a stone is 6.35. 

So it comes down to rule 5 for now, and lots of TITS. I had the deal with my wife last year, that if i reach 85 kg, I may buy myself a richey..... But I missed the deadline. perhaps I should negotiate that deal again... 

[thisismyotherbike]

I can afford to loose 2 stone. Which is more than the bike. 

 

But it is interesting to see all the wight saving possibilities to call it that. 

 

The follow-up question is for a more serious weekend warrior, that just want to ride far and fast, will 1kg make a difference? 

 

Let's say your weekend warrior is already nice and light at 70kg and has an FTP of 320watts.  This makes him a competitive amateur cyclist and he perhaps can't do much improvement to himself without getting way too serious about his training, so he looks at a lighter bike.

 

Say he's going from a 8kg to a 7kg bike.  Including the bike weights in your watts/kg calc, we get

8kg bike: 320/(70+8) = 4.10watts/kg

7kg bike: 320/(70+7) = 4.15watts/kg

 

Might not seem like much but at the margin that 1.2% improvement could make all the difference in a race.  I'd say 1.2% is quite a lot and an athlete at that level would happily pay for the improvement. I suppose this also demonstrates why amateur cyclists are turning to doping for further "free" marginal improvements.  All comes down to your priorities and whether you've already exhausted all other reasonable avenues for improvement.

 

The nice thing about being overweight is you have such an easy improvement to make!  Since Jan I've gone from 86kg to 79kg.  My FTP has improved a bit over that period (so it's not like I've sacrificed power for weight at all), but for the purpose of looking at the effect of weight alone let's keep FTP constant at 240watts/kg

 

8kg bike at 86kg: 240/(86+8) = 2.55watts/kg

7kg bike at 86kg: 240/(86+7) = 2.58watts/kg or 1.2% improvement

8kg bike at 79kg: 240/(79+8) = 2.76watts/kg or 8.4% improvement

7kg bike at 79kg: 240/(79+7) = 2.79watts/kg or 9.4% improvement, but only 1% better than just losing weight.

 

I dropped just over 1 stone, dropping 2 would give a ridiculous improvement.

 

edit: spelling

[Allrounder]

Thanks for this great write up. Numbers can not lie. 

[s14phoenix]

Thanks for this great write up. Numbers can not lie. 

 

Jup and then you reach a race day weight of 67kg and then every gram on your bike becomes very important to you

 

I am now spending just about every cent I can spare on stuff that makes 5-10g difference   it is VERY addictive and VEEEEERRY expensive... but then you see that wheelset and you are like:

 

"TAKE MY MONEY!!!!"

[Shell Belle]

In my opinion - 1kg will not make a difference, unless you weigh 65kg or less.

 

I can agree with this - I weigh 57kg and the 2kg or so difference between my training and racing bike is huge.  My 90kg partner cannot feel a difference of 1kg on his old and new bike (except the new bike is a better frame, so that makes a difference!)

[gummibear]

Rider and when you have nothing to lose then wheels and tyres.

[Allrounder]

This is why I do not use gators. 

 

Great tires but heavy. 

[Grease_Monkey]

Like many have said, rider weight. I know 10kg is heavy when it comes to road bike weights, but I know many guys that will slaughter me on their 14kg MTBs even when I am riding Chris Froome's road bike. 

 

My approach would be: lose weight, save up, and then when you feel you are at your optimal weight, put the savings towards a completely new bike where upgrades would make more sense, and probably give you more per Rand spent.

 

I have gone the upgrading an old steed route, and although the upgrades are satisfying and do make a difference, you will eventually replace the bike with a new one, and wish that you have saved all that money and put it towards a nice set of deep section carbon wheels.   Just my opinion of course...

[Dexter-morgan]

break the piggy bank and buy this.

https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/251096-cervelo-r3-csc-team/

[Allrounder]

I am so glad that it is to small for me!! flip its nice!!

[Allrounder]

 

[gummibear]

break the piggy bank and buy this.

https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/251096-cervelo-r3-csc-team/

Just do it

[Dexter-morgan]

I am so glad that it is to small for me!! flip its nice!!

also a bit small for me, otherwise I would have had BIG dept.

[Jacoo]

Just digging up this thread and don't know if its been discussed before, but does anyone have an issue with manufacturers claiming overly optimistic weights for components they sell? I feel like its a common trend, but i bought a saddle recently thats marginally heavier than what it states on the packaging. More than what I would say is manufacturing variance. How do they excuse themselves in this regard?